The Income Tax Department carried out search and seizure operations in the cases of two groups based in Punjab. The search action in case of the first group was initiated on October 21, 2021. The second group, based in Jalandhar, is engaged in providing immigration & study visa related services to students. The search action in this group was initiated on October 18.

The first group is engaged in the Cycle business. The group has been found to be involved in suppression of income by showing bogus intra-group transactions within group concerns. 

As per the tax department, the group was also found to have been involved in receiving a substantial part of sale consideration in cash and thereby suppressing the turnover. The seized documents reveal suppression of turnover of around Rs 90 crore per annum by a group concern. Incriminating documents related to the undisclosed sale of scrap have also been seized.

The search also revealed undisclosed investments by the group members in immovable properties The search action has led to detection of unaccounted income of about Rs 150 crore. The search action has resulted in seizure of unaccounted cash of Rs 2.25 crore and seizure of unaccounted gold of Rs 2 crore in this group, I-T department said.

Search action against the second group has revealed that the group used to charge a package, ranging between Rs 10 lakh to Rs 15 lakh per student, depending on the country where the student wished to pursue education. 

Almost the entire receipts of the group, aggregating to more than Rs 200 crore in the last 5 years are in cash. It has also been found that the bank accounts of the employees have been used to receive money, which has subsequently been withdrawn in cash. The profit earned from such receipts has never been disclosed in the Income Tax Returns filed. Only the commission received from foreign universities has been shown as receipts in the tax Returns by the members of the group.

The search action has led to detection of unaccounted income of about Rs 40 crore. The search action has also resulted in seizure of unaccounted cash of Rs 20 lakh and seizure of unaccounted jewellery of Rs 33 lakh. Further investigations are in progress in both the groups, the Department said.